Raigad Fort (Astrolabe Discovery)

Current Context The Archaeological Survey of India and Raigad Development Authority joint excavations unearthed a ‘yantraraj’ (astrolabe) at Raigad Fort—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s 17th-century capital.

About

• Location: Raigad district, Maharashtra; Western Ghats
• Height: 4,449 ft above sea level
• History:
  • Built by Chandraraoji More, captured by Shivaji in 1656
  • Declared Maratha capital in 1674; Shivaji’s coronation site
  • British looted and destroyed it in 1818
• Architectural Layout:
  • Defensive Design: Multiple ramparts, bastions (e.g., Khoob Ladha Burj, Hirkani Buruj), and gates (e.g., Chitta Darwaja, Maha Darwaja).
  • Key Structures:
    • Ganga Sagar Lake: Artificial reservoir within the fort.
    • Ranivasa: Queen’s quarters (six rooms).
    • Nagarkhana Darwaja: Gate facing the royal durbar hall.
  • Nickname: “Gibraltar of the East” for its strategic impregnable position.